


under the same sky (tiny love stories)

by chanson



Category: NCT (Band), WayV (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Canon Compliant, Drabble Collection, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mistletoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:48:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21741232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanson/pseuds/chanson
Summary: A collection of my shorter works and drabbles for NCT and WayV. New pairings will be added as I go.Ch. 1 • Lucas/Xiaojun • Canon!Verse FluffCh. 2 • Jaehyun/Doyoung • MistletoeCh. 3 • Doyoung/Taeyong • Secret Agent AUCh. 4 • Jeno/Jaemin • Hogwarts AU
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Comments: 25
Kudos: 376





	1. call me baby | lucas/xiaojun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by [this](https://twitter.com/sfoffs/status/1198213047195766784). this is soooo ridiculously cheesy but i'm not even sorry.
> 
> lucas/xiaojun; canon compliant, fluff, rated pg, 1033 w

Yukhei has never been one to wallow in misery.

It’s a good thing too because if there was ever a more obvious sign that it was time to move on from his one-sided crush, he can’t think of one.

So Dejun doesn’t have his number saved. That’s fine. Yukhei is _fine_.

Well maybe he’s a little bit hurt, but that’s normal. It’s not like Yukhei expected to be Dejun’s favorite, but he didn’t think he’d find decisive evidence that he was Dejun’s _least_ favorite.

(“You’re not,” Kun says when Yukhei comes to him to sulk. “You’ve changed your number three times in the last two months. It’s hard to keep up.”

Yukhei just looks at him mournfully and grabs another cookie from the batch he guilted Kun into baking for him. He doesn’t even care that he’s breaking his diet because what’s the point in being _this fit_ if Dejun won’t even notice?)

Still, Yukhei bounces back quickly—or as quickly as he can. Ever a man of action, the next time he sees Dejun by himself in the common room, Yukhei drops into the seat beside him and makes grabby hands.

Dejun glances up from his book with a bemused expression. “You’re going to have to use your words, Xuxi.”

“Your phone.”

“Did yours run out of battery or something?”

“No, I want to give you my number since you don’t have it.” He does his best to sound upbeat, but he’s never been great at masking his emotions and even he can hear the way his voice droops sadly by the end.

Abruptly, Dejun flushes bright pink in what he can only assume is shame. Yukhei immediately feels terrible for bringing it up. He should’ve just let it go.

“Not that it’s a big deal or anything!” Yukhei says, tripping over his words in his haste to reassure him. “I get it. I switch numbers a lot. Look, I’ll just call you now so you have it. For emergencies, you know.”

“No, it’s okay—”

Yukhei is already dialing before Dejun can finish his sentence.

A moment later, the recognizable buzzing of a phone comes from somewhere between the couch cushions. They both reach for it, but it’s Yukhei who gets it first. 

He passes it over to Dejun, but not before he catches a clear glimpse of the screen. He expects to see the standard incoming call message of an unknown number. What he actually sees makes his jaw drop.

It's so surprising that Yukhei would almost believe he’d grabbed the wrong phone if the Rainbow V PopSocket wasn’t such a dead giveaway.

He looks up at Dejun who has pulled his knees to his chest and has a white-knuckled grip on his phone. He’s starting at the floor, but his neck is scarlet.

“Baby?” Yukhei asks in disbelief. “Baby as in _me?_ ”

“Well you act like one,” Dejun mutters, still refusing to make eye contact.

“Nice try. It’s baby with a _red heart_ ,” Yukhei emphasizes, a grin slowly taking over his face. “You liar! You told the fans you didn’t save my number, but you did. I’m _baby_.”

Dejun sighs in exasperation and sets down his phone. He finally turns to look at Yukhei, mortification clear on his face.

“They caught me off guard and I was embarrassed. That’s why I lied.” His expression softens and he adds apologetically, “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, Xuxi.”

He's suddenly very aware of the distance between them. Dejun is curled into the corner of the couch, as far as humanly possible to get from Yukhei without making it obvious. That won’t do.

Yukhei quickly closes the gap between them, scooting until he’s pressed up against Dejun’s side.

“It’s okay. Actually, no. I was kind of hurt,” he admits and Dejun winces, “but only because I like you so much. I thought it meant you didn’t care about me.”

Dejun’s eyes widen in alarm and he reaches for Yukhei instinctively. It’s sweet and so typically Dejun that no matter how awkward he feels in the moment, his first priority is still to make sure Yukhei is comforted.

“No, no! Of course, I care!” Dejun takes a deep breath before adding nervously, “It’s probably pretty obvious by now that I care about you. A lot.”

Dejun looks down again, cheeks flaming. He looks so cute and small and precious and Yukhei is completely enamored. 

Gently, he tips Dejun’s jaw up so he meets his gaze.

“I like you too,” Yukhei says as sincerely as possible so that Dejun knows he means it. “ _A lot._ ”

Dejun’s lips part in surprise and Yukhei’s eyes flicker down to them for a moment.

“Really?”

“Definitely. For too long. I didn’t think I had a chance, to be honest.”

“Those should be my words,” Dejun says with a huff of laughter, and then, before Yukhei can reply, Dejun crawls into his lap and presses his lips softly but firmly to Yukhei’s own.

It takes a beat for Yukhei to process what’s happening—it’s not every day your most treasured dreams come true, after all—but when he does, he responds with all the enthusiasm he can muster.

They kiss, tenderly at first until it deepens into something more heated, and it’s without a doubt, the most mind-blowing kiss of Yukhei’s life.

After a few minutes, Dejun draws back, flashing him a brilliant smile.

“Slow down,” he says with a laugh. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Yukhei considers pointing out how Dejun was the one whose hands had wandered under his shirt and along his abs, but he decides to give him a break. The boy has endured enough of his teasing for an afternoon and Yukhei would rather just bask in the moment.

“You better not be,” Yukhei says, lacing his fingers with Dejun’s and smiling so brightly he can feel his cheeks start to ache. “I’ve been pining for months. Kun was about ready to kill me if I didn’t ask you on a date soon, and you wouldn’t want that right?”

“Of course not, baby,” Dejun whispers, and Yukhei is kind of in love with the way that word sounds when Dejun says it. “I’m yours.”


	2. making merry | jaehyun/doyoung

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a bit longer than i intended, but in any case, here's some christmas-themed fluff to kick off the holidays~!
> 
> jaehyun/doyoung; florist au, fluff, rated pg, 1410 w

When Doyoung signed his name on the lease of the elegant Parisian-inspired property, the first step towards fulfilling his lifelong dream of opening his own flower shop, he knew it wouldn’t be all sunflowers and roses.

Not that it deterred him; he was prepared for every potential obstacle—the influx of last-minute orders before Mother’s Day, the clueless lovers in desperate need of guidance on Valentine’s Day, even the crazy Bridezillas who always left him with a headache and a feeling of deep existential regret as he wondered why he ever dreamed of being a florist in the first place.

Or so he thought.

For all his foresight throughout the rest of the year, he wasn’t expecting the absolute _mania_ that the holiday season would bring.

At first, the concept of selling mistletoe sounded novel and had just the sort of quaint appeal that Doyoung liked.

Once word got around that they carried it, their customers tripled. It was great for business, terrible for Doyoung’s sanity.

Unlike flowers, which could be arranged into beautiful bouquets or simply propped in a bucket and still look nice, mistletoe left him with limited options for a visually-appealing display.

In the end, it was Jungwoo who helpfully suggested they string it up throughout the shop to catch the eyes of their customers.

While this did lend a charming wintery atmosphere to the store, it had the major unforeseen consequence of shoppers locking eyes under the mistletoe and giving in to their baser instincts. Doyoung had witnessed more make-out sessions in the last week than he could count.

Even worse, were the brazen customers who tried to make advances on him whenever he accidentally crossed underneath a sprig of mistletoe, which Jungwoo had apparently hung up _everywhere_.

After two days of pure chaos, Doyoung decided to leave Jungwoo in charge of the front. Jeno was working part-time for the holidays, so they didn’t really need him there, and anyway, Doyoung much preferred staying in the back arranging flowers and tending to his plants.

“Doyoung, are you busy?” Jungwoo asks as he walks into the back room where Doyoung is sketching possible designs for Christmas-themed arrangements on a scrap bouquet wrapper. “I’m going to help unload our new delivery of poinsettias and Jeno’s on his break, so there’s no one at the register.”

“No problem,” Doyoung replies easily, standing up and dusting off his apron. “I’ll cover the front.”

It’s only when he walks into the other room and sees a familiar figure inspecting their lilies that he realizes he’s been set up.

Jung Jaehyun stands there in all his handsome windswept glory. He’s wearing business attire, which means he probably took off early from work and came straight here. His tie is loosened and his shirt sleeves are rolled up to reveal glorious, toned forearms, and Doyoung’s eyes absolutely _do not_ linger.

Jaehyun must hear his footsteps because he looks up abruptly and a bright smile blossoms on his face.

“Jung,” Doyoung says with a polite nod as Jaehyun walks over to the counter. “What can I help you with today?”

“So formal,” Jaehyun says with a slight pout. “You’d think we weren’t friends, Doie.”

Doyoung almost says “we aren’t,” but he bites back his retort at the last second. That feels too unfair considering they’ve spent the better part of the last year working past their differences to get where they are now, a tentative sort of friendship that is sustained mainly by banter and a shared love of music.

(“And sexual tension,” Jungwoo adds, entirely unnecessarily. “So thick you could cut it with a knife.)

Instead, Doyoung just rolls his eyes.

“What’ll it be today? Flowers for a special someone in your life?”

“You know there’s no one else but you,” Jaehyun replies, lips curving into a flirtatious smile. His cheeks are slightly pink from the cold outside and it makes him look practically angelic.

That’s the _real_ problem. Jaehyun is a brazen flirt, and Doyoung can’t for the life of him tell if it’s sincere or not. He despises the feeling of being wrong-footed and everything about Jaehyun makes him feel unsteady.

Doyoung scowls and Jaehyun bursts into laughter.

“I’m here for mistletoe. For the party tonight.”

Ah yes. Jaehyun and Taeyong’s annual holiday gathering. The very place that Doyoung had met Jaehyun for the first time two years ago.

“Of course you are,” Doyoung says with a sigh.“Luring innocent guests into kissing you is your idea of fun, is it?”

“Taeyong’s actually; he’s very festive. You’ll be there, right?”

“I RSVP’d didn’t I?” As if Taeyong wouldn’t physically drag Doyoung there himself if he tried to bail.

“Good,” Jaehyun says, looking surprisingly relieved. “Just double-checking. I’m glad.”

Doyoung mulls over Jaehyun’s words as he guides him to their mistletoe display. Is he just being polite or is he actually glad that Doyoung _specifically_ will be there?

“Here they are. Grab as much as you need.”

He plans to leave him to it, but when Jaehyun makes no move to pick up a bushel or even so much as glance at them, he pauses. “What is it?”

Jaehyun’s eyes flick upwards and it’s with a swooping feeling in his stomach that Doyoung raises his head.

 _Of course,_ Jungwoo just had to hang mistletoe right above the mistletoe display. It’s probably his idea of a joke.

“No, absolutely not,” Doyoung says adamantly. “I refuse to be a cliché.”

Jaehyun smiles at him, all deep dimples and something that looks absurdly close to fondness. “It’s just a kiss, Doie.” ****

Doyoung, for all his disdain towards PDA and distasteful propositions, finds himself extremely tempted to give in to Jaehyun’s smile. The shop is empty after all, and _perhaps_ Doyoung has been wanting this for a while now. Who is he to turn down the perfect opportunity when it presents itself?

After a moment of deliberation, he leans in—the extra inch Jaehyun has on him more apparent than ever—and presses a gentle kiss against Jaehyun’s unexpectedly soft lips. ****

It’s just a peck really, incredible chaste, and he doesn’t even give Jaehyun time to react before he’s pulling away. It still leaves him feeling flushed all over and he’s positive his face is a blazing red.

Jaehyun, for his part, looks completely dumbstruck, and if Doyoung wasn’t feeling so suddenly self-conscious, he’d probably laugh at his comical expression. He clearly hadn’t expected Doyoung to follow through.

Then Jaehyun finally comes back to his senses and lets out a delighted laugh.

“I guess I won’t be needing any mistletoe after all.”

“Don’t you _dare_ ,” Doyoung grumbles. “You can’t come into my shop and waste my time only to leave without buying anything.” ****

Jaehyun grins again, eyes crinkling into crescents. It’s almost like he can’t stop, and Doyoung realizes he’s smiling back just as brightly.

In the end, Jaehyun does buy several bunches of mistletoe as well as a festive holly berry wreath. ****

“I’ll see you tonight,” he says, leaving Doyoung with one last dazzling smile, tingling lips, and a heart that won’t stop racing.

It’s with an overwhelming sense of inevitability that Doyoung once again finds himself underneath the mistletoe with Jaehyun that night.

In fairness, Taeyong had gone all out with the decorations and the mistletoe is almost as inescapable as in his shop.

“Were you waiting for me, Doie?” Jaehyun asks sweetly, though the mischievous twinkle in his eyes belies his innocence.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Doyoung insists, even as he feels his cheeks flush. There’s probably no real point in denying it, except that he’d like to end the night with his dignity intact.

“You’ve spent the last ten minutes standing directly under the mistletoe, yet you glare at everyone who dares approach you. It’s almost like you were hoping for someone in particular.”

“And who says it’s you?”

Jaehyun, the nerve of him, just smirks. “You know it’s okay to admit you’re hoping for a replay of this afternoon. I _am_ a pretty incredible kisser.”

“Ugh, would you shut up?” Doyoung groans, and before he can say anything else, Doyoung kisses Jaeyhun into silence.

If the pleased little hum he makes is any indication, Jaehyun is perfectly happy with this turn of events.

As far as holiday seasons go, Doyoung reflects later when he’s cuddling with his now _boyfriend_ in his bed—cold feet tangled with Jaehyun’s despite his half-hearted complaints—this year isn’t so bad after all.


	3. i'd risk it all (freefall) | doyoung/taeyong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at me posting again after nearly a year! inspired by nct 127’s 2021 season’s greetings because have you _seen_ them?! a version of this drabble was originally posted to twitter.
> 
> doyoung/taeyong; handler/agent au, hurt/comfort, rated t, 794 w
> 
> tw/ mentions of blood and injury

“I _told_ you not to give chase; it was an obvious trap,” Doyoung snaps. Anger colors his tone, yet his hands are gentle as they dab at Taeyong’s cuts with a damp cloth. “You need to listen to me. I’m your handler for a reason.”

Taeyong, to his credit, flashes an apologetic smile. He looks soft like this, sitting on the cold tile floor and wrapped in nothing but a too-large hotel bathrobe as Doyoung wipes away the blood from his wounds. It’s impossible to stay mad at him when he appears so defenseless, and already Doyoung can feel fear’s firm grip begin to slacken.

“I’m sorry. I trust you, of course, I do. But we both knew I could get them. And I did. _We_ did.”

“You almost died.”

“Didn’t. I knew you were backing me up.”

“For the last time, I’m not a field agent,” Doyoung says, but his sigh is more for show than out of genuine frustration this time.

His familiar grumblings cause Taeyong’s mouth to curl into a teasing smile. “Don’t act like you don’t enjoy the challenge. Plus, it’s good practice for you. Keeps you sharp.”

“With your antics, I don’t see how I’d ever dull,” Doyoung mutters.

They fall into a comfortable silence as Doyoung cleans up the last of the more severe cuts—a nasty slash across his calf intended to slow Taeyong down, but barely succeeding in making him stumble—and covers it with a neat bandage.

When he looks up, Taeyong is watching him with something that looks uncomfortably close to fondness.

It’s not that Doyoung is emotionally repressed or anything so dramatic, it’s just easier to do his job when he doesn’t develop emotional attachments.

Doyoung might be young for a handler, but he’s not naive. Taeyong’s the best they have, but he’s also headstrong, burning through handlers faster than bullets. It’s only in the past six months under Doyoung’s calm and discerning guidance, that Taeyong has achieved something like stability, something that Doyoung can sense the other man desperately needs.

The surest way for that to end that is for Doyoung to allow them to become something more—to lose his objectivity because he’s more worried about the asset than the mission. That way lies nothing but a swift transfer and a prolonged heartbreak.

Taeyong may always be reckless, prone to testing Doyoung’s limits, but it’s on Doyoung to be the one that holds his ground, to never let Taeyong push them both over the edge into a freefall.

They work well together, but that’s all it is and all it can ever be.

(And as for the times when they wind up in bed together after a particularly brutal mission... Doyoung chalks those up to the adrenaline high. With all the time they spend together, it’s only natural they wind up there, he tells himself.)

“All done,” Doyoung says, mostly to break the increasingly weighted silence than to say anything Taeyong needs to hear. “Keep the bandages dry and maybe don’t get into any more physical altercations for the next 24 hours. It will hurt for a while, but that’s your own damn fault.”

Taeyong grins then, broad and boyish and looking nothing like a man with a body count in the triple digits.

He points at the bandage on his exposed chest, the oversized robe slipping off his delicate shoulders. Underneath the gauze is a grisly mark left by a grazing bullet, one that came uncomfortably close to his heart. “You’re not going to kiss it better?”

“What are we? Five?” Doyoung scoffs, words slipping out before he can think better of it, “if you want a kiss just say so.”

“Fine. Then, kiss me,” Taeyong says, drawing Doyoung in by his somehow-still-neatly-knotted tie before the other can hesitate. It's instinct at this point for Doyoung to close the last few centimeters, kissing Taeyong with a fierceness that is eagerly matched.

If Doyoung were a different man, if they were different people, maybe he would tell Taeyong how scared he was today. That his anger was only to mask his terror, and how desperately he needs Taeyong to stay alive. That if it means letting the bad guys get away sometimes, Doyoung would suffer the consequences every time rather than suffer the blow of losing Taeyong.

But Doyoung is not a different man and there’s no point in wishing they were different people. Taeyong will risk his life and Doyoung will be there rescue his ass when he needs it and to patch him up afterward. That's who they are.

For now, with Taeyong’s pulse racing under his fingertips and the firm press of his lips against his own, it’s enough to know that Taeyong is alive. And he’s safe.


	4. cat got your heart | jeno/jaemin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this as a prompt fill for someone on twitter over a year ago and then i guess i never posted it...? i recently found it in my drafts and tweaked a few things, but otherwise, it's more or less the same. 
> 
> idk, i kind of hate this honestly, but i also know that just because i'm dissatisfied doesn't mean someone else won't find it somewhat enjoyable, and for that reason, i figured it would still be worth posting. 
> 
> jeno/jaemin; hogwarts au, shapeshifting au, fluff, rated pg, 2343 w
> 
> tw/ for animagus and animagus cuddles? in case that weirds you out

Contrary to popular belief, Jeno isn’t nearly as oblivious as everyone believes him to be. 

True, he ends up the unwitting victim of Donghyuck’s pranks more often than not, but he could also cast a basic shield charm and avoid the—typically messy—consequences.

(There’s a careful balance he’s striking between sparing his peers the inconvenience and humoring Donghyuck, who falls into an epic sulk when his “brilliance” goes unrecognized. It’s relatively thankless work except that Donghyuck will usually help him with his Potions assignments as an apology, which leaves Jeno with extra time to focus on his _actually interesting_ classes like Care of Magical Creatures. As an added bonus, he’s perfected his cleaning charm through near-daily use.)

No matter what Donghyuck’s pranks might lead his peers to believe, however, Jeno is actually a lot more observant than most people realize. Just because he doesn’t broadcast his observations to the school, doesn’t mean he doesn’t notice.

For instance, it’s through astute observation that he’s come to realize Donghyuck’s propensity for spectacle stems from a misguided attempt to catch the Gryffindor Seeker’s attention. He also knows that said Gryffindor actually _is_ properly oblivious, and that Mark isn’t likely to give Donghyuck his full attention unless he somehow transfigures himself into a golden orb with fluttering wings. He’s even observed that Donghyuck’s antics have had the rather unexpected side effect of catching his academic rival’s attention, and Renjun can usually be found watching the aftermath from his spot at the Ravenclaw table with a grudgingly impressed expression.

This is all just to say that Jeno notices the small signs, the often overlooked hints, the nearly imperceptible tells. And right now, Jeno knows with absolute certainty that, despite appearances, the gorgeous Abyssinian curled in his lap isn’t actually a normal cat. 

Sure, he _looks_ like a normal cat, albeit more regal and more handsome, and as Jeno had no reason to assume otherwise, he, too, was fooled at first. It didn’t take more than a few weeks of observing his furry friend’s habits though for him to deduce the truth.

For starters, as far as Jeno can recall, this cat appeared rather suddenly on Hogwarts grounds a month and a half ago in the middle of November. He’s far too well-taken care of to be a stray, which means he must belong to a student, but it’s pretty atypical to get a new pet midyear. Not to mention that, while Jeno doesn’t keep track of all the cats at the school (okay he does, but only because they’re so _cute_ ), he knows if he’d seen this particular one before, he’d have remembered.

Then there’s the fact that this cat is unusually smart; so smart, in fact, that he finds his way into the Hufflepuff common room on his own, repeatedly and without issue. Jeno has never actually seen the cat anywhere else, as he only ever shows up in the common room and only when Jeno is there. He even checked with his housemates, and not a single one could recall seeing the cat unless it was with Jeno, most having assumed he finally caved and adopted a cat of his own.

The cat is also extremely affectionate, but with the peculiar quirk of only bestowing that affection upon Jeno. Donghyuck, who sometimes accompanies Jeno during his afternoon study sessions—and is met with many discontented grumblings from other Hufflepuffs, who are displeased with having a Slytherin in their common space, yet far too non-confrontational to ask him to leave—once tried to pet him and nearly lost a finger. He now gives the cat a wide berth.

Finally, there’s the most telling trait: Jeno isn’t allergic to this cat. Not even a sniffle. While he normally takes an anti-allergy potion in the morning—lovingly brewed by his brother and delivered once a month in tidy packaging from the small apocathery Doyoung opened after graduation—he’s been known to forget, especially when he’s running on more caffeine than actual sleep.

It had been a standard Wednesday afternoon, cat nuzzled under his chin while Jeno sprawled across a plush sofa, so drowsy he couldn’t even bother with the pretense of studying when he remembered he hadn’t taken his potion that morning—yet his sinuses were un-aching and clear. The rest of the puzzle pieces fell into place shortly after.

In retrospect, it all seemed rather obvious. After all, Jeno might not know much about animagi, but he knows his cats, and this Abyssinian isn’t one. It took a detour to the library to be sure, but after a bit of research, Jeno felt confident in his deduction that his favorite cat was indeed an animagus.

Then it became a simple process of elimination. The complexity of the magic meant it was likely a fellow seventh year, and after considering who in their year would be both clever and reckless enough to perform such difficult and potentially dangerous magic without bothering to register with the Ministry, the list narrowed down to three. He’s positive neither Renjun nor Donghyuck would bother becoming an animagus just to spend their time cuddling with him; the very idea makes him giggle to himself.

It could only ever have been him.

Here’s the thing: Jeno’s love of cats isn’t exactly a secret. Far from it. Even Mark could tell you this about him.

Most people assume that, like most other Hogwarts students, he chose an owl over a cat because it’s more practical. Truthfully, it probably _is_ , and while Jeno was more than grateful to inherit Doyoung’s trusty snowy owl, Melanie, he’d also been quietly disappointed by the fact that he’d never had the opportunity to choose a pet for himself.

Jeno isn’t one to whine though, and as an animal lover in general, he’d kept this bitter thought to himself and made up for the guilty feeling it caused by spoiling Melanie with treats. It was only during one of his more vulnerable moments when he’d let the truth slip out to Jaemin during one of their late-night library study sessions.

Between prefect duties and quidditch practices, demands on Jeno’s time are always high, but his biweekly study sessions with Jaemin have been sacred since the day they started—all the way back in third year out of shared panic over a particularly complex Transfiguration assignment. As they got older and grew closer, their study sessions became a place for them to discuss more than just schoolwork, topics ranging from trivial amusements to heartfelt admissions. Their study sessions have only become even more precious to Jeno over the past five months, ever since he realized that his feelings might be rather more than platonic.

The catalyst had been that summer, which he’d spent at Doyoung’s apartment in London, preferring it to the peaceful yet isolated surroundings of their family home. Between Doyoung’s pestering about his future (he was only fractionally better about it than their parents) and seeing his brother be disgustingly domestic with his boyfriend, Jeno’s nebulous thoughts had finally solidified into something more firm. He’d returned to Hogwarts for his seventh year certain that no matter what his future held, the only versions he wanted to imagine for himself were the ones in which Jaemin was a part of his every day.

Of course, half of that was entirely up to Jaemin. As confident as Jeno might be in his newly realized feelings, it was another thing entirely to ask ambitious, beautiful, clever, and kind Jaemin to make space in his post-grad plans for Jeno. He didn’t even know if Jaemin liked him _back_ , because even if Jaemin openly flirted with him, it’s not as though he’d ever made a move or indication that he wanted something more.

In his most insecure moments, he wondered if their friendship would even extend beyond Hogwarts because even though they exchanged letters frequently, it hadn’t escaped his notice that Jaemin seemed busier than ever that summer, preoccupied with a rather difficult project that he offered frustratingly few details about. Doubt crept in and he couldn’t help but wonder if Jeno’s humble desire to work with magical creatures seemed lacking when compared to Jaemin’s ambitious future goals and that’s why he didn’t share these parts of himself with Jeno.

Or at least, so it had seemed for a brief yet remarkably bleak time.

Looking at the cat in question—his eyes closed and soft head tucked safely into Jeno’s neck—Jeno has to smile. It’s possible they were both fools.

There can be no other word to describe the weather than purely _awful_ today. It’s been a constant downpour outside leaving the grounds a muddy and sloshy mess, and every few minutes the steady rainfall is punctured by a rumble of thunder or the crack of lightning.

The Hufflepuff common room, which is normally warm with sunlight, is cold and gloomy. There’s a fire crackling in the hearth and the cat is laying on his chest, giving off heat like the coziest of blankets, and Jeno can’t recall a more perfect day.

The delicate chime of the reminder spell he’d cast breaks through the curtain of noise and lets him know that it’s ten minutes to the hour. The Hufflepuffs have Transfiguration with the Slytherins today and he should really be leaving now if he wants to be there on time. With a sigh, he flicks his wand, and the textbook he’d been idly flipping through tucks itself neatly into his bag. Then he ever so gently lifts the snoozing cat off his chest.

The cat blinks open his eyes and levels him with a severely disgruntled expression.

“I know, kitty,” Jeno says, giving the cat a consoling scratch behind the ears. He hasn’t named him because it feels wrong to call him by a name other than his own. (In his mind, however, he’s been calling him Nana.) “But we— _I_ have Transfiguration and Professor Bae will take personal offense if I’m late for class.” He gives the cat a meaningful look. “I’m sure you have somewhere to be too.”

The cat flicks his tail in annoyance but stands up and stretches, allowing Jeno to slide out from underneath him. He gives the cat one last affectionate pat on the head before he sets off toward class. 

As usual, Jeno is one of the first to Transfiguration. He greets his housemates as they filter in, but the seat beside him remains open in unspoken understanding. Donghyuck doesn’t even try to sit there anymore, having long given up on convincing Jeno of Jaemin’s devious nature (“He can’t be trusted Jeno, he’s a Slytherin.” “So are you.” “That’s why I _know_.”) and just rolls his eyes at the empty seat as he passes him, sliding into the open spot beside Jeno’s housemate, Shotaro, instead.

Jaemin bursts into the room with just a minute to spare, out of breath and appearing to have sprinted up several flights of stairs—in fairness, he probably had. This only serves to make his hair look softly windswept and his cheeks flush a tantalizing pink and Jeno has to swallow due to the sudden dryness in his throat.

“Hi Jaemin,” Jeno greets him with his best smile, the one that gets Doyoung to treat him to dinner and that Donghyuck has labeled Jeno’s ‘most lethal weapon’. “How’s your day so far?” 

Jaemin falters upon seeing Jeno’s smile, hesitating for just a moment before he smiles back, brightness returned twofold. 

“Better now.” Jaemin replies, bumping shoulders as he slides into the seat beside him. A particularly loud crack of thunder has Jaemin turning to look outside and he purses his lips into an adorable moue. “This weather sucks though. We won’t be able to practice in this rain.”

“I don’t know, I kind of like it.”

Jaemin whips back around in exaggerated astonishment and gasps. “Not Hufflepuff’s quidditch captain admitting he likes skipping practice?!”

Jeno laughs and gives Jaemin a playful shove, deliberately letting his hand rest there for a moment longer than necessary. When he pulls his hand away, his fingers lightly graze the back of Jaemin’s neck and he knows he didn’t imagine that shiver.

“You know that’s not what I meant. Stormy days are just kind of nice once in a while,” Jeno says with a nonchalant shrug. “It’s the perfect cuddle weather.”

He might not be the smoothest at flirting, but he relishes any time he can catch Jaemin off-guard. Ever since he realized that it only takes a few well-timed and seemingly innocent words to make the other boy blush, he hasn’t been able to stop. It’s amazingly addictive; come to think of it, that’s probably why Jaemin has always done the most to try and fluster him.

Unlike Jeno, however, who usually ends up a tongue-tied mess, Jaemin recovers in a heartbeat.

“You know,” Jaemin says, batting his long lashes at him suggestively—the best defense is offense, after all, “the dungeons get really cold this time of year.”

Jeno regards Jaemin with wide eyes, adopting his most guileless expression. “You should think about getting a cat. They make really great snuggle buddies.”

It’s a struggle to keep his expression neutral as he watches the emotions that flit across Jaemin’s face—alarm, disbelief, and finally, fondness.

“I’ll think about it,” Jaemin concedes with a wry smile before turning to the front where Professor Bae is beginning their lesson.

Someday soon, Jeno will let his Transfiguration partner know that he’s onto his secret, that is, if Jaemin doesn’t get fed up with playing coy first and come clean.

And someday soon, he’ll tell him about one of his own secrets too—that the moments he spends with Jaemin are always the highlight of his day. That Jaemin doesn’t need to hatch complicated plans or shape-shift or do anything else for an excuse to spend time with him, no matter how flattering his attempts may be. That if Jaemin wants to cuddle with him, all he has to do is ask. 

The answer will always be yes.


End file.
